Trembling Roses
by Bakani Banana
Summary: YYHIY Crossover - What happens to our little Shippo after the completion of the Shikon no Tama?
1. Old Beginnings

A/N: I don't know where this came from…

I don't know what prompted me to write it…

However, I like the idea here…

And I'm going to see where the Foxes will take me.

"Oh! Ohayo sensei!" Moving hurriedly to clean his small quarters, Shippo tried to quell the nervous fluttering in his stomach as his master entered his room. "Gomen ne sensei. I was studying a lesson and failed to clean afterwards."

No sound save the quiet rush of air in and out of the figure's lungs marked that his master was even there. Upon moving further into the room, a full and resplendent tail of silver accidentally swept by a pile of clutter that scattered as it fell. Containing mostly minor tricks and charms of illusion, they still earned a frown of disapproval from the older youkai.

"Counting this moment, how many times have I told you that those toys will not avail you for long in a life or death struggle?" The air of disapproval reverberated in the sensei's voice as well. "You should have long ago mastered the basics of leaf manipulation and wooden puppetry but you've relied too much upon these old tricks to commit yourself to the task."

A lean and muscled arm swung down to pluck up two such items for scrutiny. "A wooden snake and a spinning top? You still have so much yet to learn Little Tail and I am beginning to wonder if I should continue to waste my time." Although the rich voice held a note of scorn in its depths, the trinkets were handed cordially back to their flustered owner and not flung aside in contempt.

Shippo clutched them gratefully since they were the last of many that he'd brought with him when he'd first left those he'd loved behind in order to apprentice himself to one of the most powerful kitsune in all the land. The wooden snake still bore the hiragana for 'dog' and while the marks on the top had faded after all these years, Shippo could still read the name 'Kagome' with the eyes of his heart.

The special ofuda from Miroku had been mistakenly lost one night as had the charms for Sango and Kirara. Even after all this time, the loss still had the power to break the kit's heart anew. Much of that raw emotion filled his brittle voice as he answered.

"Hai sensei. I-I will try harder."

Eyes of liquid gold settled on him, but not unkindly. "I do not say this because I enjoy it Little Tail. I say it because I know that you have the potential within you to be so much stronger than you are." Clawed fingers tipped the youth's faintly pointed chin up so that luminous orbs of deep turquoise met with ones of gold. "Otherwise I would not have taken you on at all. Do you understand?"

"Hai sensai." Blinking slowly, Shippo held his gaze steady in the face of those fathomless eyes. He'd seen golden eyes before. The sight of eyes of that hue were not unusual to him since he'd traveled with Inuyasha and the others for years. Even Sesshomaru had eyes of almost the same color. But his master…

For what felt like the hundredth time in moments that surely spanned years, he found himself drawn into their depths again. 'Gold isn't the right word for them. Gilded crystals floating in pools of night? No, something else…'

"Is something wrong with my face Little Tail?" came the whisper-soft inquiry.

"No, it's perfect." The winsome response slipped out before the kit realized what he'd just said. Wide-eyed with horror, he stammered badly in his haste to correct himself as that dizzying gaze watched on. "It's not perfect, not that it's ugly or wrong. No, that is…it's an okay face. Wait." Shippo took a quick breath and crammed his words in the exhalation.

"What I mean sensei is that there is nothing wrong with your face." The bright eyes lowered as Shippo composed his face into a thinly veiled mask of neutrality. "It is fine. Perfectly fine."

Now a more pronounced trace of humor colored his master's voice, making it richer than before. "As long as you're sure of that Little Tail." The careless nickname that had so aptly described Shippo when he'd first arrived now grated against his pride like silk over an old wound. It didn't have the power to hurt him, merely to irritate.

"I expect this mess to be sorted and cleaned by the time I return for the first of today's lessons. Do not disappoint me Little Tail." With that last amused command, Youko Kurama turned and left the presence of his pupil.

Behind him, Shippo gritted his teeth in frustration and silently bowed his head.


	2. Broken

"You know that he feels something for you." More of a statement than an actual question, the speaker stayed sheltered in the shadows of the storage room. Youko ignored his guest and went directly to the towering stack of shelves to search for the seedling tht would comprise the days lesson.

However, the other was far from finished.

"I know you Kurama. You think that he merely sees you as something familiar and stable in the midst of his uncertain life." While the voice could never be called soft, there was a sibilant quality to it that let it carry far beyond its actual volume. That same quality also lent it a disturbing echo effect that made the person seem as though they were not really there at all.

"Or perhaps you imagine that he views you with something akin to hero worship. After all, it was the great Youko Kurama who deigned him worthy enough to draw breath." The fox youkai continued to select small plants and ignore the quiet jibes.

Until the next words fell from the unseen lips.

"Or does the adulation ease the guilt over what you did?"

On the shelf before him sat a tiny and indescribably fragile bottle of polished pink crystal filled with the pressed oil of a flower that bloomed only once in a millennia. Youko noted that even the sound of it shattering when it slipped from his grasp was achingly beautiful.

Had he seen the enmity simmering in the golden eyes, the young pupil in question might have become unnerved in his master's presence for entirely different reasons.

"I tolerate your presence here because of our history together but understand this," Feathery ears flattened back in displeasure as Youko unerringly zeroed in on the speaker.

"My student and his imagined emotional state is of no concern to you. As of this moment, anything that pertains to him outside of his training is not a subject that you will bring up in my presence ever again." Deadly talons flashed as he splayed his hand beside the impassive face of the pale young man watching him.

"Do I make myself clear?"

Bloodless lips twitched upwards in a humorless smile. "Of course." Youko managed to quell a flinch when cool fingers traced the contour of his jaw but hooded eyes lit up as though he'd cried out at the fleeting touch.

"How could I ever mistake your meaning when you always make your intentions so perfectly clear Kurama?"

Sarcasm is an art form studied and practiced daily by souls the world over and for the most part it is used with varying degrees of success. The slimly built youth before him wielded it with the fluent and deadly skills of a master artist.

Whirling away in disgust, Youko grabbed the plants he wanted and left. His ears twitched in irritation at the resonant laughter that trailed behind him. When he was lost from the sight of the taunting youth, Yusuke left the small storage room and sauntered away to his own quarters.

Today had been amusing.

Fingering a dense ball in his pocket that rustled like old parchment, his smile grew wider.

Yes, and the day wasn't over yet.

A/N: Amazing. I received in one day almost half the reviews for "ITT" and it's been up for months. I guess Shippo and Youko really are magical!

(Super sorry, I was using the spelling from Yohko Ono (probably misspelling this too) but we fan girls know that Kurama by any name is still as sexy.)

Still have no concept of the pairings, haven't even got a clue about the plot, not sure who will show up and who's dead.

I wasn't kidding when I said this sprang out of nowhere.

I wish people would believe me when I say a story can possess you…


	3. A Comedy of Eras

After a small burst of fox magic, the room was finally in order. Kneeling beside a small shelf in his room, Shippo couldn't help but give a rueful laugh over his own breathlessness.  
  
'Master Kurama was right. I have relied too much on my tricks.' Indeed. He knew that the creation of copies to assist in his endeavor should not have winded him as badly as it had. Shippo felt a touch of pride because at least he had become proficient enough that the copies could do more than dash around and be distracting.  
  
"But if I could master wooden puppetry…" Tapping his lips thoughtfully he tried to fathom why he was so uneasy with that one aspect of his training. "Maybe because Naraku did it so often?"  
  
A voice behind elicited a startled shriek from the kit.  
  
"The fact that your foe has mastered something should be even more incentive for you to learn it as well." Youko strode into the room with only a cursor nod to acknowledge that his previous orders had been followed. "You should strive to master his techniques, become better at them and use them to utterly defeat your opponent. Keep that in mind." The tail swished once again as he left.  
  
"Hai sensei." Hoping that he sounded a little less ridiculous than before, Shippo bobbed his head in a quick bow and got to his feet to follow Kurama out.  
  
They walked in silence down the airy hallways of the Master's home, an old mansion which had been remodeled into a school. Looking out across the courtyard at the handful of other students, Shippo amended his thought. 'Not just any school. One of the most exclusive in all of Japan.'  
  
Japan. He was still getting used to calling his homeland by the curious name. 'I liked Yamato better.' Feeling a bit emboldened by his success with controlling his duplicates, he ventured a question.  
  
"What is today's lesson sensei?" That was another oddity for Shippo. Having a sensei. When he had first joined Inuyasha and Kagome, he had called no man master. He was a fox spirit and they saw no one as their betters save their own kind.  
  
The day Youko Kurama had first crossed paths with the group, Shippo had instantly recognized a person for whom the title had been created.  
  
That and the fact that he wasn't sure he could manage to say 'Kurama-sama' with a passably straight face.  
  
Wrapped up in his own thoughts, Shippo almost missed the answer to his question.  
  
"Something simple." The response was as brisk as the older man's mannerism and the younger fox wondered what could have happened to upset the sensei so. He was hesitant to ask because those golden eyes were smoldering.  
  
A darkly papered panel slid aside of its own volition, allowing the two to pass before closing once more. Shippo felt an icy touch of unease. No matter how many times he had come into this place, the Training Room still gave made him wary.  
  
Youko settled into a plush chair with a contented sigh and some of the anger seemed to leave him. His voice reflected the newfound peace of mind as well. "Fetch a sheaf of parchments and the box containing the writing utensils Little Tail. I want your notes to be neat and easy to read when I review them."  
  
"Hai sensei!" Shippo moved quickly to complete this newest task. As he moved across the room to one of the many shelves lining it, he imagined he felt thoughtful eyes watching him.  
  
'It can't be sensei. Why would he bother?' A part of him hoped that it was Youko because if it wasn't he might never step foot in this room again.  
  
'Hmph. I'm not some narcissistic bishounen like Sesshomaru! I don't care who's looking at me.'  
  
As far as the kit was concerned, there was nothing remarkable about his appearance. He thought his face was too narrow since the shedding of his baby fat and that his chin was a bit sharp. Sure, he'd managed to gain some height and a bit of muscle over the years but in his mind, most of that acquired weight resided in the knee-length ponytail atop his head.  
  
Reaching overhead for the box he wanted, Shippo caught sight of a russet lock out the corner of his eyes. The large oval orbs of clear turquoise half-closed in annoyance. 'If it wasn't so good for camouflage I would probably cut it all off.' The brief image of sporting a scraggly ponytail like Miroku had made him smile.  
  
The reminder that he had left before learning of the kind monk's fate caused it to fade.  
  
Items in hand, Shippo sat down in the seat opposite his instructor and arranged them on the flat surface. "How will these be useful? Will we be creating counter charms for barriers and talismans?" Shippo's nervous chatter halted at the amused twitch of firm lips.  
  
"No Little Tail, we will not." Slender ears covered in downy cloud-gray fur twisted around towards him, bringing a dizzying sense of déjà vu. Youko's amused twitch grew into an actual smile. "Today you will be noting the growth and transformation of basic flora after using strategically applied bursts of youki to feed it."  
  
Shippo could only stare in disbelief when his master pointed to an unassuming dandelion.  
  
"You're kidding? It's just a little weed! How am I supposed to defend myself with something like that?" The incredulous words hung in the air between them and made the kit wish he could recall every one.  
  
On one side of the square table, the student wondered if he'd finally crossed the line.  
  
On the other, his mentor raised a hand to reveal where the line actually was.  
  
A/N: …  
  
This is going somewhere. I can just smell the plot swimming beneath the surface but I can't see it yet. It's juicy but liable to bite me if I step wrong.  
  
Reminds me of crossing an alligator infested swamp. (Class field trip from hell, don't ask.)  
  
Damn it Kurama!! Quit being so perverse with me!! 


	4. Fire, Fire Burning Bright

Stretched out across his bed Yusuke rolled the padded ball between his forefinger and thumb. Sometimes he would let it drop on the covers and push it slowly over the dips and folds of the indigo fabric before plucking it back up again. A faint smile tugged at his lips.

"Dream a little dream and I will show you tomorrow.

Pray a little prayer and I will show you God.

Worship me alone and I will elevate you above all others."

His eyes gleamed in the light like black diamonds.

"Whisper not to me of betrayal my beloved,

Or I will cast you out into the dust beneath the world."

With a delighted laugh, he pocketed his paper treasure once more and slid out of bed.

In a rusted cage sitting dejectedly in the corner of the room, terrified eyes watched him depart.

Suffused in an unearthly violet glow of purest youki, two clawed fingers descended towards the stationary plant. Shippo watched with a breathless expectation he hadn't experienced since he was a child waiting to see what new and wondrous toy Kagome had brought for him.

Only he had a feeling that while wondrous, what he was about to see would not be a toy.

Verdant leaves quivered beneath the twilight energy like eager flesh beneath a lover's caress. The stem expanded and stretched like warm taffy, sprouting new greenery as it did so. Humble before, the flower produced wicked thorns and serrated edges that sliced through the corner of the table as though the wood were no more substantial than paper.

Emerald blades fitting for the hellish warrior of armored vines and toxic perfumes.

With a cry of alarm, Shippo shot away when one of those deadly leaves swung in his direction. Not finding any prey awaiting it that way, the monstrous flower whipped around to descend upon the still seated Kurama.

The alarm magnified into a shout of warning. "Sensei!" Summoning a ghostly ball of azure flame, Shippo rushed forward to defend his master.

A dark brow rose over almond eyes stilled him in his tracks.

One unlit finger rose up to press against those maddeningly quirking lips. "Shush and learn Little Tail." Still holding the youth's attention, Youko raised his other hand fully into the air where it shone like a black sun within a nimbus of its own undulating, darkling light.

The gargantuan sunburst face of the flower twisted around towards that hand like a devout supplicant would worship a god.

Gaping openly at the casual display of power, Shippo could only imagine what the turgid flow of youki could do to him.

"Observe closely Little Tail and you will see that like any living thing, this flower yearns to be more than it currently is." Hooded and dark with concentration, Youko's eyes continued to hold his gaze.

"Everything that lives, wants. These desires and compulsions drive us to become more than the limited sums of ourselves. Sometimes those yearnings lift us up to heights of greatness undreamt of by mortal man."

Full and passionate, Youko's voice wound a sinuous spell around the room, accentuating everything inside. Each shaft of light that poured within became a spotlight of unequalled luminosity and each hollow of darkness lurked as it huddled in distant corners.

That familiar fluttering renewed itself in the pit of Shippo's stomach when he heard it.

"But that is not always the case Little Tail." The dusky lids lowered, severing a part of the spell but that impassioned voice easily strengthened what had been lost.

"Sometimes a yearning can compel us to commit acts of such atrocity that we scarcely dare to look upon our own reflection for fear of glimpsing the damnation that must surely lurk beneath the skin."

Shippo didn't know where he found the ability to string two coherent thoughts together in the presence of that enthralling speech, but he actually formed sounds that resembled a sentence.

"Have you sensei?"

Why was he suddenly so breathless again?

An electric hum inundated the very air, tickling the fine russet hairs covering his legs and tail with invisible fingers. "H-have you ever been compelled to do something like that?"

Without a word, Youko brushed his fingers over the velvety petals of the flower, which instantly shrank back to its original state. Getting to his feet, he slowly walked up his student. "Which do you mean Little Tail? Have I ever committed such acts myself or have I ever contemplated acting on them?"

Once again, supple fingers cupped the younger man's chin. Shippo couldn't hold back a shiver at the memory of what he'd just seen that hand do. It placed a tremor in his voice.

"Were you ever tempted sensei?"

Closing the distance between their differing heights, Youko lowered his face towards Shippo's, halting a hand's span away. His breath was warm and feathered lightly across the sweeping cheeks under darkening cerulean eyes. "Yes I was once tempted Little Tail."

Shippo swallowed hard as his pale pink tongue darted out to wet hip parched lips at the husky tone. "By what sensei?"

A slow blink hid and revealed the metallic eyes looking down at him. "By a trifle thing that I fear has destroyed all that I thought I knew and understood of this world."

The verbal entrapment was rapidly waning but it still hampered all rational thought. "What was it sensei?" Even suppressed he could still feel the heady ebb and flow of his master's ki. "What could it have been?"

When that slender face closed the distance of those final few inches and the warm hand slipped around to cradle the nape of his neck, Shippo felt his eyes close of their own volition.

They flew open at the thick whisper that trickled into his ear. "I was tempted Little Tail, by temptation itself."

"Whu-what?" Shippo felt an alarming sense of disorientation when Youko moved away to resume a seat at the table. Once seated, the clawed digits steepled before those unreadable eyes and he heard his master say lightly, "Now I believe we were in the midst of a lesson?"

Unsure of what just happened, Shippo stumbled back to his seat as well. Still attempting to sift through what had transpired, Shippo realized that something else within the Training Room had changed.

He no longer felt uneasy

Within the room were only ordinary lights and mundane shadows. No ominous presence and no slight of hand with which to bedazzle the senses.

It was just a plain room with dark doors.

A/N: That's it.

I'm hunting that fox down and shooting his ass.

He's been cryptic with me for the last bloody time.


	5. Unexpected

Chapter Five

By the middle of the afternoon, Shippo had decided that exhaustion was a luxury.

As he stumbled into his room and fell limply across the bed, he knew that what he was currently experiencing left exhaustion far behind but stopped somewhere just short of actual death.

Honestly, Shippo was pretty sure that if he'd tried to undress himself before laying down he would have shot straight over that mercurial boundary from the effort.

His tail hung forlornly over the side of the bed in agreement.

'I will never question sensei again.' His brain throbbed dully after the tired thought and told him that thinking too much was seriously tipping the life-or-death scales.

Every single thing on him hurt, including his hair. Something that before today he would have scoffed as an impossibility. Blinking was rapidly becoming a monumental task so he simply closed his eyes and vowed never to open them again. After a minute, the vow turned quietly into much needed sleep.

nn

After gathering the remains of the second dandelion, Youko took it and buried it quietly in a distant corner of the courtyard. He had expected a few rough patches in today's training but things had gone beyond even his abilities to forecast disaster.

"Make it grow, feed it and change it. Not blow the poor thing to smithereens after sucking the life from it."

Indeed, all that compromised the remains of the flower were a shriveled leaf and desiccated roots.

Even though he had been present during the small explosion, Youko still couldn't decipher exactly how his student had accomplished such an arbitrary execution of the orders given.

"I sensed Shippo building up his youki and directing it at the plant. Everything he was doing was correct. The dandelion should have transformed much like mine did, although smaller of course."

Rich dark soil colored his alabaster fingers a dusky brown as he smoothed out the impromptu grave. "But it withered like it was being roasted in the desert. I can't even begin to imagine what made it explode. Shippo shouldn't have had enough energy for something like that."

His quiet musings were interrupter by a visitor.

The subtle tremor in the air informed him that he was no longer alone. Never looking up from his task, he addressed the uninvited figure.

"What is it now Yusuke?"

"Nothing much Kurama, just wondering how the 'lesson' went." His tone swung back and forth between convivial curiosity and barely hinted mockery. "I am still allowed to ask aren't I?"

Shippo might see his teacher as a fount of limitless power but Youko knew his own strengths much better. Right now he was operating on reserves that were themselves running dangerously low. When he'd felt the impending blast, the fox youkai had used every ounce of ki he had to contain the unexpected detonation of the flower, erecting a barrier that had protected his student as well as himself.

Youko had neither the energy nor the patience to deal with the other man right now.

"It went well enough all things considered. I won't be assigning Shippo to gardening duties for quite some time and that is about all you need to know." That heavy fatigue was clearly audible in his voice. "Don't you have a class to teach or something?"

"My students are fine Kurama." Cool and low, Yusuke's voice carried nothing but his usual unwavering certainty in his own abilities. "When I show them a lesson they pick it up immediately. There are no questions, no back talk and no mistakes."

Fine hairs on statuary ears bristled invisibly.

"I'm glad to hear that you're accomplishing so much with your charges Urameshi." Harder than the gold they mimicked, Youko's eyes narrowed only marginally.

"Since you seem to be doing so well, I'm certain that you could do twice as well with the addition of another class to your apparently open schedule." While delivering his missive, the tip of that marvelously gleaming tail swished back and forth in irritation as Youko got to his feet.

When one knee gave out and threatened to pitch him headlong into the dirt, two unnaturally strong arms shot out to catch him. Before he could back away, the hands shifted so that the support became an embrace.

If Youko's presence unnerved his pupil then in all fairness Yusuke's nearness had a similar effect on the master himself, but for different reasons. He found himself growing uncomfortable beneath the scrutiny as Yusuke pinned him with an unreadable look. Rather than fight the hold, Youko dug into those tapped reserves and found the previously missing patience.

"Let go Urameshi."

Bloodless lips curled up into a condescending smile.

"Watch out Kurama, I think you're slipping." The softly whispered words found their mark with deadly accuracy.

Shoving the boy aside, the kitsune turned on his heel and left without another word.

Yusuke's smile grew wider.

nn

Once safely hidden in the confines of his room, Youko gave into to the frustrations that had been plaguing him all day by pulling out the Rose Whip and tearing into dust a large block of stone that he kept for just that purpose. Feeling satisfied but even weaker than before, he turned his thoughts back to the dual causes of that irrational display.

Namely Yusuke and Shippo.

Falling across his bed in much the same manner as his pupil, Youko draped one arm over his eyes and tried to quiet the tremors that jumped just beneath his skin as he closed his eyes.

Contemplating a slender face dominated by watchful eyes and framed with unruly jet-black hair, Youko frowned softly.

Yusuke was a monster of his own making and he knew that already.

The dark eyes in his mind lightened to an inquisitive blue-green while the hair lengthened to reddish-gold cascades.

However Shippo was becoming something of a fixation as well.

Uttering a curse that would have made Hiei applaud its creativity, Youko rolled onto his side and drifted off to sleep.

n

n

n

A/N: (sits in her room sharpening stakes and waiting)

I am going to kill Youko Kurama.

I have things that I have to finish and I do not have time for this cryptic story arc!!

Give me a clue you friggin' fox!!!


	6. Deeper and Deeper

Chapter Six

Following his 'mishap' in the Training Room, Shippo pressed himself harder than ever into completely mastering his lessons.

He would not have been quite so disheartened if he were getting better results.

n

"Did you have a long standing grudge against the tree that I should have been made aware of Little Tail?" Staring askance at the smoking crater that used to be a lovely old ginkgo tree, Youko shrugged his bare shoulders in elegant bewilderment.

Since the day was warm, he'd opted to dress in a comfortable pair of charcoal-gray jeans and sleeveless shirt of crisp white instead of his normal attire. Blessedly, the pants were designed to accommodate his tail.

Shippo was similarly dressed in shirt of emerald green and cream-colored slacks (also tail-friendly), the latter of which was smudged with sooty streaks.

Youko tilted his head to the side, temporarily obscuring his line of sight with a curtain of silver hair. Golden eyes narrowed in thought because the past week had tested every nuance of his nearly insatiable scientific curiosity.

When he spoke again, his voice was the epitome of serene contemplation.

"When you first arrived here both you and the tree were very young so maybe the animosity began then?"

Almond eyes fell lightly upon the bowed, tawny head of the silent kit. There was something shining beneath the apparent affection in the golden orbs but it was invisible to Shippo's averted gaze. Youko wanted to sigh but a young pair of pointed ears were listening to him intently.

'First exploding flowers, then flaming seaweed, the petrified vines were unusual but not unique. The man-eating violets that committed herbicide by eating themselves were. But this…' He knew he should be upset with the boy, except that he'd never seen a tree do that.

'How does one cause a tree rip itself out of the ground by the roots and then pivot so fast that it spontaneously combusts?'

Firm lips pursed at the glumness showing in every line of the svelte body standing before him. If anyone had less of a clue than Youko, it was Shippo.

"So all these years you've been carefully plotting the day that you would turn it into kindling Little Tail?" Crouching down to trail his fingers through the fine ash, Youko gave a short laugh as he dusted them off.

"If that is the case then I'm surprised you don't have higher marks from Hiei for tactical strategy." Turning his back on the blackened pit, Youko headed towards the main building with his mortified student in tow.

Shippo's head hung lower than ever under the temperate chiding.

Kagome's looks of mild disappointment he had handled without a second thought.

Inuyasha's almost theatrical tirades had been amusing after a while.

However, these gentle admonitions were killing him.

n

n

Sitting easily in a straight-backed chair in the Training Room, Hiei was staring at a fixed point in space when the two kitsune youkai came to the door.

Youko sensed his presence before he actually saw him and halted at the threshold. Lost in thought, Shippo nearly collided with his mentor but managed to stop at the last minute.

"Sensei?" Despite the amount of time spent in class with the fire demon, Shippo had never been able to detect Hiei's comings and goings. Youko knew that this time was proving to be no different.

Hidden in the shadowy interior, scarlet eyes blinked at the elder fox spirit with inhuman calculation. That small act spoke volumes.

Addressing the cub over one shoulder, Youko cleared his throat. "I think that a period of meditation is in order after that last demonstration Little Tail."

"Hai sensei…" The elder fox didn't think anything on earth could sound as dejected as Shippo did right then. As a child, Shippo had hated the long periods of inactivity required of deep meditation. From his tone of voice, Youko guessed that the years hadn't changed that opinion.

"On second thought, mediation is not what you need right now." Youko watched in fascination as Shippo's eyes lightened from their natural turquoise to a much paler sea-green.

'Does he know how easy his expressions are to read?' he wondered. The blatant relief still radiating in the kit's face said no. Youko had to turn away quickly to hide a smile.

The boy was still too green.

Not wanting to appear too lenient, Youko changed the assignment to one he knew the cub loathed less than mediation, but only marginally.

"What you will do instead is adjourn to the library and peruse the medicinal qualities of the gingko tree. You should at least know something about the flora you annihilate. Don't you agree Little Tail?"

Youko didn't need eyes in the back of his head to feel the angry heat radiating from the flushed kit. This time, there was a bit of bite to the respectful reply.

"Hai sensei, I guess I should." Spinning on a padded foot, Shippo hurried away down the hall. Behind the retreating lad, his teacher gave a rueful smile.

'Entirely too green.'

Once he was sure they wouldn't be overheard, Youko stepped fully into the room. His tone was one of practiced welcome.

"Well, well. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Set in a youthful face that belied its years, curiously large eyes flicked in Youko's direction before sliding away. "I came to discuss something with you." To anyone else, the toneless voice would have put a stop to any further conversation. However the last few hundred years had created an understanding between the two men that let one read the other easily.

Youko took a seat opposite his friend and waited for him to continue, still wearing that benign smile.

Dark hair that defied gravity rustled as Hiei shook his head. "No Kurama, this is no laughing matter."

Now the kitsune's curiosity had a new outlet. Hiei needing assistance was a rarity in and of itself, but for him to admit to it willingly was beyond odd. Folding his arms over his chest, Youko frowned anew.

"What happened?"

"It's Urameshi." Those shadowed eyes closed solemnly. "He knows."

For a moment there was no sound made within the room, but Hiei immediately saw the effect his words had. Youko's face rivaled freshly driven snow as the blood drained away.

"That cannot be possible." Voice trembling with the effort not to shout, Youko rested both hands on the cool surface of the table and rose to his feet. "Yusuke wasn't even born then, how the hell could he know anything?!"

"He didn't divulge that bit of  information Kurama. Yusuke may not be a genius like you but he is far from stupid." A hand wrapped with bandages reached out to flit over a silver ear. "You should realize that Kurama. Of the two of us, you're the one who was the closest to him."

Youko unconsciously leaned into the supportive touch. Understanding was not the only thing wrought by the passage of time. "Once upon a time we were close Hiei, but much like the years that too has passed. The Yusuke that I knew seems to have disappeared before my eyes." When he took his seat again, Youko seemed to fall into it. "How could he know what happened? Everyone who was there died." Before Hiei could say more, a voice interrupted.

"Not all of us died kitsune."

Unaware that another had entered the confines of the room, both Hiei and Youko drew their weapons. There was a second of confusion when they could neither see nor sense the intruder.

A sonorous laugh preceded the figure as he materialized in a darkened corner.

Conventionally dressed head to toe in black, from a form-fitting high-necked shirt to tailored slacks and low-heeled boots, the trim form was hard to detect among the gloomy shadows.

Even when he came into view, the man watching them bore the air of one who hailed from some forgotten eldritch realm rather than the material world.

The Rose Whip fell from Youko's unfeeling fingers. "I-Impossible."

Ignoring Hiei and making his way to the silver-haired man, the figure gave a smile that was chilling for both its beauty and utter lack of mercy.

"I told you I would find you again, Little Fox."

n

n

n

A/N: (practically in tears.)

I have kids and art commissions, throw me a bone Kurama!!

Youko: In time all will be made clear. Have patience Karasu.

It's Mistress Bakani to you Fox-boy! You are screwing up my concentration for "I.T.T." with this story! C'mon, give me hint about where this is going…please?

Youko: Pardon me Mistress Bakani, but as I said, it will all become clear in time. You must simply wait like everyone else.

Say that again and I will rip out your tail one hair at a time.

Youko: You've been talking to Hiei again haven't you?

…maybe…


	7. Stories of Surprises

Chapter Seven

Towering shelves lined the walls as far as the eye could see within the cavernous room. Where most people would have taken the largest room in a mansion and immediately made it their personal domain, Youko Kurama had converted the former audience chamber into a bibliophile's paradise.

One had only to look around to find vast quantities of knowledge bound in parchment, vellum, and wood. In some cases, it was etched in stone. Although the coverings may have differed from one item to the next, all of the meticulously placed denizens awaited eager minds to come unravel their secrets.

Much like the rest of the room, the ceiling had also been renovated to allow natural sunlight inside. Even now, it shone down on readers from overhead.

It was often noted by frequent patrons that no matter what time of day it was, the shafts of light never moved around enough to harm any of the shelved material.

Once or twice, the word 'magic' was tossed about as an easy explanation for whatever invisible barrier held the beams at bay.

The whisperers would have been floored if they knew the answer was only solar mirrors, but to each his own.

Tucked away in a cubicle filled with the books required of him, Shippo took a moment to appreciate the library for its aesthetic beauty since he honestly wanted to escape from it as fast as possible.

Listlessly flipping a page, he sighed. It wasn't that he didn't like learning about things, it was just that he liked it more when it was Youko-sama showing it to him. In a messy scrawl that would have made the sensei in question cringe, the distracted kit wrote down something or another about memory boosting properties.

Understandably, the notes soon trailed off into gibberish and doodles.

Suddenly, his sight was cut off by a pair of hands.

"Guess who?" Perky and pleasant, the voice beside his head was one that was as familiar as it was exasperating.

With a sigh, Shippo wondered what else could go wrong.

Hiei normally had three placement levels when dealing with a new foe.

On the first level were people he could destroy with little more than a stray thought.

That standard applied to almost every basic human and spiritual weakling that lived. Needless to say, when he first met the man, Kuwabara had been immediately placed in that section.

The miko Kagome had been sectioned there along with her half-breed companion and friends, although the monk had been a tough call.

Yusuke Urameshi had never been put there in the first place.

On the second level were people that might prove a challenge to kill, but would still be dead in the end.

Higher-ranking demonic beings, unusually empowered humans and assorted entities had populated that niche but not as of late. The Dark Tournament and subsequent battles had raised the bar for entrance onto that level to tougher requisites.

After some time observing the man, Kuwabara had unknowingly graduated to this area to sit alongside Yusuke and Kurama.

The last and third level was reserved for those that he knew would require his undivided attention and flat-out effort to defeat. These god-like beings might even cause him to call forth the might of the dark beast that lay dormant upon his arm.

Honestly, the fight might take his life but in the end, he would personally escort his opponent to hell before he himself drew a final breath.

Not many people had made it to that level, not even Genki.

Stepping between the intruder and his friend, Hiei held the sword at the ready. Any other person would have been driven away by the force of his glare alone, but not this man.

Hiei wondered if it might not be too late to create a fourth level.

Behind him, Kurama's breathing stopped and started in fitful bursts that echoed loudly within the confined space. All around them, the fire demon could sense the undulating touch of chilled ki that emanated from the man like an oppressive mist.

It grew ever more stifling as the dark figure continued to smile cruelly at Kurama. "Move aside little man. The fox and I have matters to…discuss."

As unruffled as ever, Hiei's eyes narrowed dangerously. "State your business so that I may mark it on your tombstone as completed." He wasn't sure, but he thought that he could hear words hidden within the stricken kitsune's spasmodic gasps.

Outwardly, Hiei was calm. Inside, he felt a growing sense of trepidation because the choked words he heard sounded suspiciously like 'Oh god please no.'

Curiously dark eyes tore themselves away from the catatonic youkai, orienting fully on him instead. Although he would never admit it, Hiei privately wished that raptor gaze would look somewhere else.

Mellow and unpleasantly sensuous, the voice dropped lower than before. "The business is my own little man and I will conduct it uninterrupted."

"Not today. I suggest that you leave here while you still have legs with which to do so." At the bold threat, the man actually laughed. The sound of it was as distasteful as his voice. Never before had Hiei seen eyes so utterly devoid of life, but before he could say more, he found a slender finger pressed to his lips.

Normally, such a presumptuous act would garner a swift death as well as a surgical removal of the offending digit. The brittle clink of metal striking the floor sang out as the sword slipped from his grasp.

With his mind churning sluggishly, Hiei tried to fight off the numbness taking hold of him.

For a moment he experienced a disorienting sense of déjà vu, as if time was looping in upon itself. 'What the?' The disjointed thought fell apart more and more as the unblinking eyes seemed to grow larger and larger. After a while, all there was to see was the obsidian depths of those engorged pupils and the fire demon was drowning within them.

The half-lidded eyes drew him further still, "Believe this if you believe nothing else in your life demon-childe. There was nothing that you should have desired less than to be considered my business."

Never moving his eyes, the visitor called out, "Isn't that right Little Fox?"

Hiei only half-heard a pained whimper but his focus was on the finger laid against his face. Unused to being touched as he was, even he sensed something intrinsically amiss with what he was feeling.

Not with the touch itself, but with the flesh it was comprised of.

It didn't feel…wrong?

No…it didn't.

A hesitant smile tugged at the corners of Hiei's lips as the digit moved away, gaining strength until his mouth was stretched into an all-encompassing grin.

In fact, everything was fine.

Just fine.

Listening just outside the black-papered doors of the Training Room, Yusuke fingered the paper in his pocket with a smile.

This should be interesting indeed.

A/N: Okay, now I'm as hooked as the rest of you. Since he's going to continue to literally make his "literary bitch", I'll try to pump Youko for more info.

Youko: This should be amusing…

Okay, exactly who is this guy?

Youko: The straight-forward approach? Very original…

Would you like to bite me?

Youko: You ask a lot of questions, do you know that?

How else am I supposed to find out what's going on? Wait for you to keep showing up with more dictation demands? Why me anyway?

Youko: More questions. I think I just made my point.

Fine then, here's a dandy one. Do you know you're going to die soon at the hands of a seriously ticked kokujin?

Youko: Ah, but if you kill me you'll never find out how this ends.

…damn…your…eyes…

Youko: Virgo curiosity. It's so amusing.


	8. In My Eyes

Chapter Eight

"Bug off girl." Removing the hands from his eyes, Shippo huffed in moderate annoyance. "Don't you have something better to do than pester me Souten?"

Undaunted, the cheeky young woman pulled up a seat beside him. After straddling the chair, she raised a brow and flashed a lovely smile at the morose lad. "Nope!"

Much like the kitsune, she was also outfitted in a more modern look. Souten wore a loose, long-sleeved shirt that was tucked into baggy smoke-gray jeans. Over the white shirt, she'd donned a cut-off spaghetti-strapped tee that was as vibrant a red as her eyes.

Although she was completely covered from head to toe, her natural curves rebelled against the clothing in a way that made the days of her being mistaken for a boy ancient history.

Still, Shippo thought the current combo echoed her old armor disturbingly.

Right down to the twin buns on her head that had enlarged along with her lengthened hair. Only now, they were held up with insanely cute scrunchies.

Scrunchies with tiny lightning bolts and thunder clouds dancing on them.

For the thousandth time since his arrival, Shippo tried to figure out why the heir to the Ikazuchi Clan had been accepted into such an exclusive school.

'It's not as if she was personally invited to come here like I was.' Even in the depths of his depression, that little thought had the power to lift his spirits somewhat.

'She probably whined her way inside…' he thought cynically as Souten idly transformed and untransformed a nearby plant. The sight of such effortless magic usage soured his previously bad mood even more.

"Don't you have a three-foot mushroom to fuck or something?"

The youkai girl didn't even bat an eye at the acidic comment, mainly because she was used to dealing with his mercurial temperament. Over the centuries at the academy, she and Shippo had had more than a few on-again/off-again flings so the young woman had literally seen every side of him that there was to see.

Late however, he'd been acting on edge and she was worried about him.

So instead being offended, she responded to the taunt with a purr, "Oooh as much as hearing that turns me on, what would your beloved sensei say if he knew that his star pupil had such a naughty mouth?"

At the reminder of the decorous kitsune, Shippo flushed deeply and dropped his head down on a book lying open before him. Slightly dejected, his words were muffled by the thick pages.

"Knowing Sensei, he'd probably give me that enigmatic half-smile of his, pat my head for the effort and then say something that would have had you fleeing in tears with less than two words."

Surprisingly full lips all but pouted as Shippo angled his head her way, "Gods Soda, why can't I do this?!"

"I don't know Shipping." Warm and soft, she reached out to pat his arm comfortingly.

The occasional use of colorful nicknames was another touchstone in their relationship. Filled with more than a little teasing zest, her voice was still caring even as she quipped, "I don't know what your problem is but maybe if you _read _the book instead of using it as a pillow, you could find out what you're doing wrong."

Having said that, the textbook was deftly plucked from beneath the russet head, causing the pale mound to slam against the desk.

"Hey!" Shippo yelled as he rubbed the side of his head.

"No yelling in the library." was the breezy response.

After a moment of perusal, Souten glanced at her friend. "You're reading 'Your Friend The Tree: Learning To Love It'?" Ruby eyes blinked in confusion. "Why are reading this thing? It's first-year stuff and you're way beyond that."

Closing the thick tome with a decisive snap, she wiggled it in the air dismissively, "I mean it's not like you have some deep seated grudge against all plant life and run around blowing them up or anything!"

The giggle that sprang from her lips hung forlornly in the air for a few second before dying off when she saw his face. Understanding dawned at the stricken look written there.

"Oh my god…you're the one that everyone is calling 'Weed-Killer'?!"

Shippo snatched back the book with a bit more force than necessary at the hated epitaph and hid his flaming cheeks behind its covers.

"Go study somewhere else, I'm not in the mood to play."

Rising gracefully to her feet, the young woman stroked her hair back towards the carefully maintained buns. "I can see that and now I know why!"

At the admonishing tone, Shippo did his best to become one with the book.

This wasn't the first time that he'd heard the name "Weed-Killer" uttered aloud. Usually it was spoken of as a joke of extreme hilarity by the student body as they wandered the halls between classes. After all, the sudden renovation of the squash garden into a reading nook filled with plant _sculptures _had been hard to explain away.

Closing his eyes with a low groan, Shippo suddenly realized that the crater in the side yard would provide untold amounts of new material for the rumors as well.

'Maybe Sensei can say that it's for a new pool?'

Somehow, the kit didn't think the excuse would fly.

Thankfully for him, none of the gossiping hordes knew that the horticultural serial killer was the hand-picked "heir apparent" of the school's founder!

Not yet.

Once again, Souten pulled the book away so that she could whisper to him face to face. "You really are the Weed Killer!" Her lowered voice further at his look of utter panic. "Oh man Shippo, what the hell is going on? You handled yourself better when we fought in that stupid duel, and that was ages ago!"

While Shippo could bear the shame of the moniker by hiding under the banner of anonymity, having Souten say it made his chest uncomfortably tight.

"I don't know what's wrong with me Souten. Before last month all of my studies were going great, but now everything I do is a complete mess! Even Sensei is puzzled. I-I'm afraid…" Tilted eyes darkened with worry beneath thick chestnut lashes as he uttered the root of all his uncertainties. "I'm afraid Sensei will send me away!"

As children, the two youkai had fought one another tooth and nail before settling into an uneasy comradery that being schoolmates demanded.

As budding teenagers, they had turned to one another often to talk about similar burdens of homesickness and loneliness. Years later, that friendship would mature to the point where they could share the easy comfort of casual lovers.

Through it all, they had held a solid core of friendship that might seem flighty to an outsider but was unshakable between them.

Without another word, Souten wrapped her arms around him. Stroking his back through sturdy green fabric, she sought to soothe the doubts that must have been assailing him all this time, cursing his erstwhile mentor as she did so.

"Shhh, I'm sorry Shippo. It'll be okay." A fleeting kiss was freely given and taken gladly. Threading her fingers in the silky waves of reddish-gold, Souten held him tighter. "We'll get through this like we have before. I'll even help you study if you want."

"Thanks Soda, but I can't." he responded softly. With Souten, there were no barriers to his innermost self and they both knew it.

Nearly cradled against her, he was not even attempting to hide his relief anymore than he'd previously tried to guard the misery that had been housed within his slim frame.

Tucked into the crook of her shoulder, he sighed deeply, "I'm going to try and see this through with Sensei. He chose me and I can't let him down."

Already upset with the man who had put so much pressure on her beloved friend, a touch of cattiness crept into Souten's voice as she leaned away from the depressed boy. "Not if you're starting to fail like this after all these years Shippo! Maybe you need to forget Kurama and train with Urameshi-san."

Satisfied that the cub appeared stable, she made the mistake of continuing to voice her disdain, "Everyone knows that he's the best teacher here."

n

n

Those unnaturally compelling fingers danced along the pale flesh of Hiei's throat, drawing no resistance from the now seated demon. Crouched in a corner of the room, Youko nearly wept at the visible blankness in those crimson eyes. Though still alive, Hiei had fallen before his weapon could even be employed.

That sonorous voice called out again, "Do you see how easy it is to give in Little Fox? How at peace your friend is now?" Questing fingers threaded into the spiky hair with its curious ring of snowy strands, tipping back the head of the fire demon for a puzzled inspection.

"I've never dealt with one who looks so youthful and yet is not. I wonder how he will differ from the others when it is time to play." Releasing his hold, the black-garbed figure resigned himself to stroking the pallid cheeks of his latest acquisition.

"Ah well, I have plenty of time to find out. Don't I Little Fox?"

"Go…away…please." Screwing up his eyes to avoid that gaze, Youko tossed his head from side to side in denial. "Leave us alone!"

If anything, the voice became sulky, as though insulted by the refusal of some costly gift. "I don't understand you Kurama. Why would you have ever wanted to leave such bliss Little Fox?"

It was a gently asked question made all the more fiendish for its false sentiment. Youko fought not to be ill. 'Because it wasn't bliss you bastard!' he wanted to scream. 'It was hell and I saw the souls you sacrificed for that false paradise!!'

The kitsune wanted to rant and rage against the sickeningly familiar ki that crawled up his body, numbing his limbs into uselessness as it did so.

He wanted to flee from this room and get as far away from the creator of his nightmares as he could.

Youko wanted many things, but above all of that, he desired something more.

He wanted to know how Musou had found him.

n

n

Disturbed motes of dust drifted dreamlike back onto their previous perches as the gust of turbulent air that originally moved them faded away.

Sharp and quick, the sound of the slap reverberated through the small alcove, lingering longest with its victim.

With a strident hiss of denial, Shippo sprang to his feet to glare down at her. "Don't you ever say that about Sensei again!" Arm still high from the follow-through, Shippo tried to will his both his breathing and temper back under control.

Turquoise eyes flickered harshly with the uncharacteristic fit of rage that left him trembling as it fled.

In fact his voice shook almost as badly as his body, making him resemble nothing so much as a wind-battered leaf. "D-don't say that! He's a good man! D-don't say that about him!"

At the sight of the disbelief and alarm shining in Souten's eyes through the fingers of the hand cupping a reddened cheek, control returned far faster than he could have imagined. Falling to the ground before her, he slid his arms around her waist and buried his tear-streaked face against her thighs.

"Soda…Souten I'm sorry!" Those comforting arms descended again, causing him to cry aloud as though burned with his own guilt, "I didn't mean to…I don't know what's happening to me!"

"Shippo…it's okay…it's okay." The air was saturated with the heavy odor of tears as she bent forward to cover his head with her torso, neither one noticing the moisture soaking rapidly into their clothing.

Although the slap had shocked her, Souten knew that Shippo regretted the act as soon as he'd done it and she knew why.

He'd hadn't been himself.

The eyes that had narrowed hatefully at her had been dark and flat, worlds apart from Shippo's natural color. Someone had struck her, but it hadn't been her kitsune. He hadn't resumed control until after the blow was struck, leaving him saddled with the guilt of the action.

Murmuring soothing platitudes, Souten continued to rub his slender shoulders.

Now she was even more disturbed about her friend's state of mind.

'Heaven help you love, what is going on?'

n

n

n

A/N: Now that was just strange.

When did Souten get to the school?

Youko: Shortly after Shippo did. She had successfully headed her clan without any familial aide and she was merely a child back then. I was greatly impressed with her and offered her a place here. At first she refused, but reconsidered when she learned of Little Tail's enrollment.

Okay…Why did you choose Shippo then?

Youko: He had potential that I felt would benefit from training under another kitsune.

Ah. What's your connection to Musou?

Youko: … …

Well?

Youko: That's not a subject that I wish to discuss right now. I believe it's time for me to keep my appointments with some other writers. Good day Mistress Bakani.

…you can't run forever fox…


End file.
